Palladium-Catalyzed Aminocarbonylation Using Nitroarenes under NMP-Mediated Photochemical Conditions.

A photochemical approach enabling mild amide synthesis from aryl iodides, carbon monoxide, and nitroarenes at 25 °C under 1 atm of CO is disclosed. Under a PdCl/Xantphos-FeCl catalyst in -methylpyrrolidone, broad functional group tolerance is observed. Mechanistic studies reveal that nitroarenes form a base-activated -methylpyrrolidone-bound adduct, which generates an aniline-like intermediate that couples with the acyl-palladium complex to deliver the desired amides.